Attention party girls, students and those who prefer to hit the hay in the early hours, night owls are more likely to put on weight than those who get an early night

When it comes to lights out most of us go one way or the other, we're either night owls or early birds. But if you fall into the former category you may want to know that you're more likely to put on weight if you go to sleep late.

The white coats at Northwestern University School of Medicine in the States found that people who go to bed late, such as serial clubbers or shift workers, are more likely to gain weight than those who go to bed and wake up early. Interestingly, even if you get the same number of hours kip, late night sleepers are still more likely to put on weight.

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People who don't get some shut eye until the early hours eat on average 250 more calories. They also chow down on twice as much fast food than those with normal sleeping patterns. This equates to a 2lb weight gain every month. Late nights affect the natural body clock that leads to over-eating and munching on convenience foods that aren't always healthy. Best leave that cheeky bag of chips on the (drunken) way home next time then…

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